The Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) on Tuesday lashed out at revenue minister Bikram Singh Majithia for targeting PPCC chief Partap Singh Bajwa, terming it an "act under political vendetta".

The Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) on Tuesday lashed out at revenue minister Bikram Singh Majithia for targeting PPCC chief Partap Singh Bajwa, terming it an "act under political vendetta".

Addressing mediapersons here, PPCC organising secretary Anil Dutta said, "The revenue minister has claimed that state government was not against the Justice Kuldip Singh tribunal, which probed irregular and illegal land transactions around the periphery of Chandigarh and other parts of Punjab. All these statements are false and misleading."

"Why did the Punjab government file a special leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court against the constitution of the tribunal by the high court?" asked Dutta.

Disturbed over the rising popularity of the PPCC president, the state government has been giving misleading statements, he alleged, adding, "The senior Badal is saying that he did not order any probe into the matter, and if it was ordered, it would be against NK Sharma and Bajwa. The junior Badal and Majithia, on the other hand, are saying something entirely different and are talking of a probe. They are reacting on a matter which is sub judice. There is no unanimous voice in the family."

Dutta added that the tribunal had named many politicians, including those of the ruling Akali party, and both civil and police bureaucrats, who had indulged in irregular or illegal land transactions, but the government was sitting silent and no action had been taken against any of them, or against any official of the revenue department who had matured the illegal or irregular land transactions, so far.

"Why is only Bajwa being targeted? Let the government probe the transactions of the entire 7,200acre common land in the state and invite objections from the public, to bring more transparency in land deals," he said.

PPCC secretaries Satnam Bitta and Ashok Gupta were also present on the occasion.